Half the Problem
by Anonamus-A
Summary: Neal Caffrey is having a bad time, Peter's mad at him  Post-Under the Raidar and he has a lot of choices to make. When a teen girl, Gale, shows up, life may get a bit more mixed up. T for violence, and cussing. NO SLASH!-A
1. Stranger

A/N: Hello. This is my second story. If you have been reading my other story, Growing Pains, you will need to be aware of a few contradiction. First, you will meet Neal's mother, and her name most likely won't be the same as it will be in Growing Pains. Second, Gale takes no place in Growing Pains. And third, in this story, Neal's mother had a few boyfriends in the years while Neal was growing up, but in Growing Pains, she has stayed single. Thank-you, enjoy. –A

Chapter 1: Stranger

Neal Caffrey was walking, coffee in hand, to his place of 'employment.' This man was a convicted felon. He had escaped the super-max he'd been damned to for four years with three months left on his sentence. Why would someone so smart pull a stupid move like that? Simple, Kate. Kate Moreau had been the young con's true love, but she dumped him with four and a half months left. Her weekly visits were the only things that kept Neal sane. He knew he had to find her. The young man broke out. He had literally walked out the front door. When he got to the building she'd been staying in, the only thing he found was an empty Bordeaux bottle. The young man had missed her by two days. Agent Peter Burke, the only fed to ever catch the elusive con, found him again. Running had earned Neal another four years in the super-max. Neal found a security fiber for the new Canadian hundred on the agent's jacket. He agreed to meet Neal back in prison in one week. The two cut a deal. The con was released into the custody of the FBI with a GPS tracking anklet locked on his leg, creating a leash of a two mile radius. He was often referred to as Peter's pet convict.

Neal didn't particularly want to go into the Bureau at the moment because Peter was seriously pissed at the young man. The agent had accused his _partner _of stealing the greatest treasure in the world. Neal knew where it was, but he wasn't the one who'd stolen in. That's why he had the coffee. It was some of June's Italian roast, Peter's favorite. It was Neal's pathetic attempt to soften the agent up.

Lost in thought, the con didn't notice a strangely dressed girl staring at him under the pretence of reading a newspaper. People all around the handsome young man were staring, befuddled by the girl's appearance. She was wearing a pair of cameo knee-length shorts and an old black tank top. On her head was a blue cameo fishing hat which covered her long, curly, brown hair. Large white sunglasses stopped the world from seeing her eyes. Rather than sensible shoes, she wore brown flip-flops.

A feral smile lit the odd girl's obscured face. It was beautiful and dangerous at the same time; her teeth were straight, white, perfect. She walked toward the con man. As she neared him, she looked away, purposely bumping into Neal. Her hand reached into the man's pocket, grabbing at a wallet. She went to pull it out when a hand closed around her wrist.

"Nice try, kid," they young con said.

"It's been a while, stranger," she responded with a perky smile.

"Do I know you?" His brow was furrowed slightly as he thought.

"You should," she told him matter-of-factly, pulling off her hat and glasses, and turning to face Neal.

Realization lit his face. "Gale."


	2. Distracting

A/N: Hey, it's A. Sorry I've taken soooo long to post. You should all hate my guts for making you wait so long. Anyway, without further adieu, here is chapter 2! Still don't won WC, sadly. –A

Chapter 2: Distracting

Neal let go of the girl's wrist. He stepped back to look at her. Her hair was long, but pulled into a sloppy ponytail, just like the last time he'd seen her. The most incredible pair of blue eyes stared up at the con. Her perfect, white smile was warm and radiant. Even in flip-flops, Gale reached Neal's chin. The con knew that the girl was only sixteen, but she could pass for eighteen any day. No doubt, she had a fake ID in her pocket right now, saying she was. Was she worried about being caught with it? Not at all. This was a girl gutsy enough to slap a cop in the face and steal his badge while in a cheap disguise. Yes, the con had seen her do this. And yes, it had been a hilarious as it sounds.

"What brings you to New York, Gale?" Neal asked.

"You," was all she said.

"Me?" She nodded. "Whatever she thinks I did, I didn't do it!"

"Relax, convict," she said, much to his distaste. "She's not here."

"She's not?" The teen shook her head. "Thank God. I've got enough people pissed at me at the moment."

"Wha'd you do this time?"

"Nothing!" Gale raised an eyebrow. "I'm serious! I didn't do it!"

"Do what, exactly?"

"Steal a treasure from a sunken, WWII Nazi U-boat." She looked deep into the young con's eyes.

"Okay, so there really is a Nazi U-thingy…" He rolled his eyes.

"Nazi _U-thingy_?" She shrugged.

"You really didn't steal it did you?" Her tone went from sarcastic and mocking to gentle and comforting. Neal shook his head. "I believe you," she told him. The young man smiled. "But you know where it is, don't you?" He sighed. Gale could _always _call a lie. She knew exactly when you were lying and sometimes what you were lying about. She was a human lie-detector. Unfortunately for the con, it worked on him too. It always got in the way.

"Yeah."

"You gonna tell your Suit friends?"

"I don't know."

"If you tell them, they'll know you didn't steal it. Anyone who knows you would know that you don't confess. Ever."

"I know." The con glanced at his watch. "Shit! You made me late, Gale. You're so distracting!"

"Sorry," Gale told him.

"No you're not."

"You're right. I'm not."

"Come on," Neal said, pulling her along with him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Bringing you with me," he told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?" The teen's voice was whiney.

"You're my alibi!"

"You say that as if they'll lock you up for being late."

"The way my life's been going, they might," he said.

"I don't know if my being in the FBI building is such a good idea…" she protested.

"Oh, cowboy up!" he said before thinking. The young man smiled at Peter's stupid saying, then frowned thinking of Peter and how pissed he was at his consultant.

"I don't know…" she said. "Remember the cop in Chicago?" Neal smiled as he recalled the memory of the feisty teen slapping the police officer, her blonde wig slipping slightly.

"Vividly," he said. "You're coming," he decided, toting the reluctant girl behind him.

"But the cop…" Her voice trailed off.

"Never found out who you were," Neal finished. "The Bureau has no files on Galeadeen Caffrey!"


	3. Alibi

A/N: Hey, it's A. Chapter 3 is coming up… NOW (Me still no own… sad face :( ) –A

Chapter 3: Alibi

Peter looked at his watch. Caffrey was nearly twenty minutes later than normal. And normal late for Caffrey was almost half an hour. This pissed the agent off. With a sigh, he stood. He needed coffee. Not the crap that the sometimes functional Bureau coffee machine made, but actual coffee. He'd step out for a moment and get some. If Caffrey wasn't back by then, he'd have Jones pull the tracking data.

As Peter stepped into the elevator, he found both things he'd wanted to find. Caffrey and coffee. The agent, so pissed at his consultant, didn't notice the teen standing frozen in the corner.

"Where the_ hell _have you been, Caffrey? You are almost an hour late!"

"I brought you June's Italian roast," he said, his voice slightly pleading. The agent stared at it reluctant to take it.

"What did you do to it?"

"Nothing," the con said truthfully.

"Prove it." Neal looked a little hurt. That's the last thing he said to the agent when the treasure was exploded and found to be stolen. Rolling her eyes, Gale stepped forward. Peter jumped a little when she appeared, as if out of nowhere. She grabbed the cup and took a huge swig. She stared at Peter and waited a moment before putting it in his hands.

"Happy?" she asked. Peter just stared at her, mouth hanging open slightly. After a moment she shook his head and collected himself.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Gale," she said. Peter just shook his head slowly, as if saying for her to go on. She just smiled. The agent turned to his consultant.

"She the reason you were late?"

"Yup."

"Who is she?" After his question, Peter took a drink of coffee

"Her name is Galeadeen Caffrey. She's my little sister." Peter, having taken another swig of coffee, spat it out when the con said that.

"You're _sister?_"


	4. Unknown

A/N: Hey, it's A. Sorry for another long-ish break. Been working on a different story, Mozzie's Book of Quotes. You should totally check it out. I'm gonna assume that SherlockXHolmes23 likes it (that's the only person so far who's reviewed. Nine times). So yeah. Enjoy chapter 4! –A (P.S. You should be able to guess at why I named this story as I did in this chapter. Fairly easily too.)

Chapter 4: Unknown

Neal clapped Peter on the back, as he was still choking on his coffee. "Yes, Peter. Sister."

"Well, half sister, anyway." Neal nodded.

"You didn't tell me you had a sister," Peter said accusingly.

"You never asked," he told him plainly. Peter glared at him. "You only ever asked about my parents. You never bothered to ask if I had siblings."

"You said your dad died when you were two."

"And he did, as far as my mom told me. We only share our mother. Mom had a lot of… we'll call them _boyfriends _over the years."

"And she's… how old?"

"Sixteen," he said at the exact same time Gale said "Eighteen!" Peter looked between the two. Finally, Peter decided to trust Neal on this one. The elevator _ding_ed and they were in White Collar, floor 21. Peter and Neal stepped out, but Gale was hesitant. With a sigh, Neal grabbed her arm and pulled the teen with him.

Agents' eyes turned as they passed. Everyone could see the resemblance of the teen to Neal, but no one could seem to figure out who she was. Finally, they were a seated in Peter's office. People still looked at them curiously through the glass wall. Gale sighed. The is was the _last _place on Earth she wanted to be, well, maybe it was a little ahead of dead and prison, but not by much. Neal smiled as he seemed to be able to tell this from her face. She glare at him. This was _not _a good day.

A/N (pt. 2): Sorry for the shortness of the chapter. Please don't hate me. Anyway, trying to decide if I should post a story I've been thinking of… since last night. It's about a woman from Neal's past, Cynthina, and she's a criminal, but her father doesn't know this. She's known in the WC world as the Daughter of Night because of her mother, who was called the Queen of Night (both criminals). Her father is an old friend of Neal's so everyone's favorite criminal has been staying in the same house of the Daughter of Night. Soon, he finds out and they team up and get into all sorts of trouble together. Sound like something anyone would be interested in reading? If you want me to post it, write a reply that says "Daughter of Night" somewhere in it. Honestly, that's all it has to say, really… Thanks! –A


	5. Dinner at the Burkes'

A/N: Sorry for the extremely short chapter. You all deserve a long chapter, but you're probably gonna have to wait a few days for that. Thanks for not hating me (unless you DO hate me). Anyway, enjoy! Still don't own it, -A

Chapter 5: Dinner at the Burkes

Gale was relieved when Neal told her it was time to knock off. All she'd had to do was sit in the conference room, feet on the table (much to Peter's distaste. No matter how often he moved them off, the second he had his back turned they went right back on the table), and listen to her mp3 in an attempt to block out the agent's endless questions. Needless to say, it didn't work to well. Burke was relentless.

"So," the teen asked on the walk to Neal's, "where do you live these days?"

"In a place," he said vaguely. She rolled her eyes. _N_o_ freaking duh! _she thought. Twenty minutes later, Gale was in front of June's, he mouth open in shock. "Come meet June." She gave him a questioning look to which he responded to with a dazzling smile. The young man grabbed his sister's arm and all but pulled her in. Sitting in the dining room was an elderly black lady, a pug sitting at her feet.

"Gale, this is my landlady, June." June stood and shook Gale's hand and gave her tenant a questioning look. "June, this is my little sister, Gale."

"Half sister," Gale added.

"I didn't know you had a sibling, Neal."

"Wow. That's, like, the tenth time I've heard that today. Glad to hear I'm so loved," she said sarcastically. The ex-con rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, dear. You are very welcome here, as long as you like." The teen smiled radiantly.

"Thank you, ma'am," she said sweetly. "I'm sure I'll love it here, but I won't impose upon your kindness for too long. A few days at very most."

"Don't be ridiculous! You're not imposing at all. I dare say I get lonely since Byron's passed."

"Byron?"

"My late husband." She smiled a little sadly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright, dear. Actually, your brother and Byron had a lot in common. They had… let's say similar _hobbies._" Gale laughed. Neal's phone buzzed. He pulled it out and read the text message.

"That was Peter," he said. "Elizabeth's invited us to dinner."

"Elizabeth?"

"Peter's wife. Peter's picking us up in twenty."

"Well, June, it has been lovely meeting you," Gale said.

"Likewise," the elderly woman said. "Enjoy dinner."

"Will do," Neal said, pulling Gale up the stairs with him. They reached the top of the stairs. Neal opened the door. "And this is my apartment."

"Nice," she said. Neal started running around, getting different clothes together. He went to the bathroom, changed, and came back out. The young man took a look at his sister.

"Aren't you going to change?" She glared at him before realizing he was serious.

"Into what? The emperor's clothes? I don't have my bags here, genius!" Neal had a duh-huh moment. _Der-ta-der!_ Gale thought.

"Right. Well, just wash your hands. And face." She walked over to the sink and started scrubbing. "Where have you been staying?"

"In an apartment," she told him.

"What's the address?" She told him.

"Why?"

"I'm gonna have someone go get them. They'll be here when we get back." Neal stuffed his phone back in his pocket.

"Who?"

"Moz," he told her.

"He better not touch my stuff!" she warned. The young man smiled. Then a car horn honked from the street below.

"That's Peter. Let's go." They headed down.

"Let 101 questions round two begin!" she exclaimed.

Gale was right. The whole ride, Peter did nothing but ask question after question after freaking question. Finally, they reached Peter's house. Inside, Gale was greeted by a large, yellow lab. She petted it's head. "Hey, Satchmo," Neal said as the dog went to sniff him.

Elizabeth was great. She was beautiful, smart, an amazing cook, and she _didn't ask questions till Gale's ears bleed off!_ Dinner was quiet and delicious. She learned a lot about the Burkes. She knew, somehow, Elizabeth was going to be a good friend while the teen was here.


	6. Homeless

A/N: Sorry for the long break. Stupid plot bunnies, homework, Romeo and Juliet essays, and tests! Yup, lots goin on. Anyway, without further ado, I present chapter six! Hope you like it. –A (P.S. Don't own anything but Gale, oh and if I might recommend a song, Feels Like the End by Shane Alexander, and yes, it's the one from the end of All In.)

Chapter 6: Homeless

After dinner, the group sat in the Burkes' living room, talking. At around eight-thirty, Neal's phone buzzed. He pulled it out and rolled his eyes.

"What, Moz?" he said quietly into the receiver. Pause. Then he hissed out an irritated sigh.

"Fine, I'll be there in a few minutes." He ended the call and stood. "Come on, Gale. Mozzie has a problem getting your stuff."

"He's afraid of dogs, isn't he?"

"Well, not afraid of dogs more than the germs they carry. Either way, he refuses to take another step towards them."

"Can't it wait till morning?" she asked, sounding whiney.

"No, come on."

"I don't wanna go," the teen protested.

"Too bad. Up." Gale crossed her arms and glared daggers at him.

"Neal," El said, "she's more than welcome to stay here until you're done helping Mozzie." When no one said anything, she elbowed Peter in the arm. "Isn't she, hon?"

"Oh, yeah. Right, 'course she can stay here." The teen smiled smugly. Her brother sighed.

"Fine, I'll be back when I'm done," he told them before leaving.

"So, Gale," El said after a few minutes, "would you like some dessert." 

"That sounds great, Elizabeth. What do you have?" she asked politely.

"Chocolate cake or apple pie?"

"Cake, please." El smiled.

"How did I know that?" she asked as she headed for the kitchen. When she came back, she handed Gale a plate with a large slice of cake, a napkin, and a fork.

"Thank you, Elizabeth. It looks delicious." This made the older woman smile. The girl took a bite and it was like entering chocolate heaven. "Yum! This is amazing!"

"Thank you." They sat there in silence, the only noise was Gale's fork scraping across the plate slightly as she went to get a bite, until Elizabeth addressed her.

"So, Gale, where do you go to school?" 

"I don't."

"Your mother lets you skip school?"

"I haven't seen my mother in over a month," she told them.

"Really? Why not?" El's tone was full of nothing but concern.

"She more or less threw me out," the teen mumbled. This made Peter snap up.

"Why?"

"Well, It was more like a mutual agreement that I should leave."

"Why did you want to leave?" El asked. Gale sighed heavily before continuing.

"Whatever you say, don't blame him," she plead.

"Who?" Peter asked, confused.

"Neal."

"Why would we blame Neal?"

"Just promise you won't blame him," she asked again.

"We won't," El told assured her. "Will we, Peter?" She gave him a stern look.

"Of course not," he said.

"Okay. Well, two days after Neal turned eighteen, he left. Mom never saw him again. He'd visit from time to time, but not when she was around. Every time he came, he made me promise not to tell her."

"Why?"

"He said so it would be easier for her to cope. If he came to see her, she'd never want to let him go. Never let him out of her sight again." She paused.

"What does this have to do with her kicking you out?" Peter asked.

"After about two years of this, she started drinking. She'd get mad at me for nothing and slap me across the face. She'd bring 'boyfriends' home and they'd leave as soon as they saw me. She couldn't hold down a job, so I had to grow up and try to make money-"

"Let me guess," Peter said. "You used less than legal methods to get money." She smiled evilly.

"Peter, do I look like a criminal?" Opened and closed his mouth several times before shaking his head in disbelief.

"I'm not even gonna say it," he told her, making her perfect smile grow.

"So, a few months ago, we had a fight. She hit be a couple times, I slapped her once. She told me to leave and never come back. I said good riddance and left without a backward glance."

"Have you been looking for Neal since then?" She shook her head.

"Only for about a month. I heard on the street that he was out and had a deal with the feds, so I started looking for him. Heard from a reliable source what his path to the Bureau was every day, so I waited there for him there and, low and behold, I found him." She shrugged.

"Where have you been saying?" Peter asked.

"In an apartment. _Within_ his two miles," she added. They nodded. The door opened and Neal walked it.

"Come on," he said, motioning to the door. She sat the plate down and smiled at El.

"Dinner was delicious. Thank you, Elizabeth. The cake. Amazing."

"My pleasure," El told her sincerely.

"Bye, Gale," Peter said.

"Bye, honey," El called. As a reply to both, Gale waved a little and gave a small smile. Neal herded her out the door.

"Thanks," he called over his shoulder and was gone.


	7. Honesty

A/N: Sorry for the long break. Stupid plot bunnies and exams! Only four more days left of school! Should be more posts soon. –A

Chapter 7: Honesty

In about fifteen minutes, Neal paid the cabbie and they stepped out in front of June's. Tired, Gale followed her brother up the stairs to his room. She collapsed on the couch.

"Time to start talking," he said, sitting on the coffee table in front of her. She stuck out her tongue.

"Tired. Talk in the morning," she told him and rolled over. He grabbed her shoulder and rolled her back.

"Nice try, but no dice." With a defeated sigh, she sat up and crossed her arms.

"Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Why were you in that crappy apartment?"

"Well, I couldn't exactly afford a five star hotel, now could I?" He just glare at her until sighed again. "I left home," she admitted. He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Gale, _why _did you run away?" She kept her face blank.

"You did," she pointed out. He clenched his teeth.

"Yes, when I was _seventeen._"

"That's only one year's difference," she argued.

"Gale," Neal warned. She looked down for a second.

"Maybe because I was tired of mom beating on me," she whispers, tears threatening to spill. Her brother's head snapped up and stared into her eyes.

"Mom wasn't abusive," he said, confused.

"Yeah, and she wasn't a drunk. Until you left." He stared at her, unsure how to respond. He saw a tear spill over, but she quickly wiped it away. He moved over to the couch next to her and wrapped her in a hug. Gale may be strong, may be a fighter, but she was only a sixteen year old girl who's been going through hell since she was seven. And it was all his fault.


	8. History

A/N: Okay, I know, I know. Another long break. My bad. Oh, for those of you who were reading it and haven't noticed, Daughter of Night was deleted. Yup, just not enough plot bunnies for that one to keep going. Sorry I didn't post this sooner, but… /shrugs/ Anyway, here's the chapter. Enjoy (and don't forget to R&R!). –A

Chapter 8: History

Peter looked down into the bullpen the day after Neal and Gale had been over for dinner. For the past few hours, Neal had looked distracted and… well, glum. In all honesty, Peter wasn't feeling too hot himself. He was sure it had something to do with what Gale had told him and El after dinner. When his wife started talking about it after the teen left, she was half in tears. He couldn't say he blamed her.

That put a new thought in the agent's head. Did Neal know? If he did, it might explain thing. His lack of concern that his teenage sister was living in a shitty apartment, stealing for food and money. His lack of questions asked when she showed up, figuratively, on his doorstep.

He had to know. That, and why his consultant was so put-out. The agent pushed himself to his feet and crossed his office. When his door opened, several pairs of eyes darted up to him, including Neal's. The agent caught his eyes and gave him the signature double finger point. With an sigh, the young man stood and came up the stairs, going into the office before Peter, who closed the door behind himself.

"What?" he asked distractedly. This worried Peter.

"Neal, what's wrong with you?"

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"Neal, I have eyes. You can't focus, you look like you're about to fall apart. Start talking."

"I don't really think it concerns you," the young man said, ice coloring his tone just a bit. Peter tried not to get angry.

"Fine, don't tell me," he said, deciding that Neal just needed some space. "But there's something you need to know."

"What?" He looked like he could care less.

"It's about Gale." The con's head snapped up, eyes wide and alert.

"What about her?" he asked, voice thick with concern.

"Last night, after you left, she told me and El something. I don't know if you know or not…" Peter bit his lip, not sure how to continue.

"Is it… is it that mom…" Neal's voice broke and he trailed off.

"Hit her?" Peter finished. Neal nodded. "So you know."

"Not till after we got back to June's." The young man's eyes got a bit misty.

"Do you know why?" The agent's voice was small, withdrawn. His consultant nodded.

"She said because mom started drinking after I left." _Okay, _Peter thought, _so she told him the same thing she told us. _

"It's not your fault, Neal," he told the younger man.

"I know, it's our dads'." This threw Peter off.

"How do you figure?"

"Mom loved my father with all her heart. Like I told you, he died when I was two-"

"As far as you know," Peter added. Neal rolled his eyes.

"Yes, as far as she told me. When I was nine, she got remarried to a man named Erik Salem. She loved him, yes, but not like she loved my father. He hated me, I hated him. He was a complete ass."

"Neal, the story…"

"Right. When I was ten, Gale was born. When she was four, Erik left mom for some bottle-blonde twenty-two year old named Angela. Mom was devastated." Neal took a deep breath before continuing. "I should have seen it sooner. Ever since Erik left, she resented Gale. Anything that reminded her of him. She even burned all his clothes and broke everything he ever gave her that we didn't need. Then I left when I turned eighteen and left Gale…"

"Neal, don't blame yourself. You didn't tell your mom to start drinking and hit Gale."

"I know, but if I'd been there, she _wouldn't _have done that."

"You had nothing to do with it. Some people are just sick that way." Neal stared into his eyes for a moment, letting Peter see the pain deep inside that he never thought Neal would be capable of showing. This made his heart ache for the Caffrey kids. That's exactly what Neal was at the moment. A kid who had a hard life, with a little sister who got the receiving end of her mother's bottled-up fury of an ex-husband. And Peter wanted to do something, but he couldn't. Or could he…

Then Jones walked in, looking a little tired. "Peter, we've got a problem."


	9. The Witness

A/N: Okay, this chapter includes French, just 'cause. The translation will be in parenthesis, but I'm not sure if all the French will be right because I'm using an online translator. Why is there French, no clue, just sounded fun and once it was in my head, I couldn't get it out and needed to use it.

Chapter 9: The Witness

Neal and Peter stood and followed Jones. The older agent cast a quick look at his partner and saw the hurt that was there a moment before was gone, replaced by Neal's normal… Neal-ness. (A/N: sorry, can't think of the right word, but I hope Neal-ness works. –A) He would have asked if the young man was okay, but they were only headed to the conference room and were already there. Neal would have to wait.

Peter looked at the two people in the room. One was Diana. Next to her was a young girl, maybe fifteen or sixteen. And she looked scared half to death.

"Who is she?" he asked Diana. She shrugged and shook her head.

"We don't know. She won't tell us her name. Either she doesn't speak English, or she is so scared she won't."

"What's she speaking?" he asked, confused.

"French." Peter looked at Neal and smiled. The young man stood there for a moment before realizing what he had to do. He sat across from the girl and began to speak in fluent French.

"Bonjor, mon nom est Neal Caffrey. Quel est votre nom?" (Hello, my name is Neal Caffrey. What is your name?) The girl's name snapped up, not expecting someone able to speak French to her. In shock, she answered.

"Fleur," (flower) she told him.

"Savez-vous pourquoi vous etes ici?" (do you know why you're here?) he asked gently.

"J'ai vu les hommes qui ont fait irruption dans le banque." (I saw the men who broke into the bank.) He nodded.

"Pouvez-vous me dire ce qui s'est passé?" (Can you tell me what happened?) Suddenly, her eyes went wide. She shook her blonde head back and forth and tears started streaming down her face. Peter was looking back and forth between the crying girl and the stunned consultant.

"What happened?" he growled in Neal's ear as he pulled him back in his office.

"I don't know. I asked her what her name was, she told me it was Fleur. I asked if she knew why she was here, she told me it was because she saw the men who broke into the bank. When I asked her to tell me what happened, she… well, did that." He gestured to the other room.

"What do we do?" Peter asked.

"I don't know. She doesn't know us. I suppose if we can calm her down enough to tell us her last name, we could find her parents and they could help, but that could take a while."

"We need someone she can relate to, and can talk to without a translator between them."

"Another teenager?" Neal asked. Peter nodded.

"Exactly. The only problem is that I don't exactly know a sixteen year old who can speak fluent French." This made Neal freeze. A smile spread across his face.

"I do."


	10. Translation

Chapter 10: Translation

Gale walked through the bullpen, ignoring the confused looks of agents around her. The teen walked right up to where she remembered Peter's office to be. She sat in front of him, where Neal sat last time she was here.

"You said you needed something?" she asked, addressing Neal.

"Yup. There's a girl in there who witnessed a bank robbery. We can't talk to her," Peter said.

"Why not?"

"She only speaks French." She turned to her brother.

"Don't you speak French?"

"Yes, but she won't talk to us."

"Why not?" she asked, still not sure why she was necessary.

"We think she would be more comfortable talking to someone her own age. And since the Bureau doesn't know any teenagers who can speak perfect French…" She smiled, understanding perfectly now.

"So I was the only one who fit the bill," she finished.

"Exactly," Peter said. "Her name is Fleur. We'd kind of like to learn her last name so we can find her parents."

"Got it," she told them as she stood.

"We need to find out what she saw, but we want to ease into it, she's a little traumatized. Talk about… teenage stuff for a while, then slowly work your way into the robbery. Think you can do that?" She nodded, smiling confidently.

"I can do it." With that, she walked through the door Peter held open for her.

"Diana, let's leave them alone for a while," Peter said. Confused, Diana stood as Gale took a seat across from the blonde-haired girl. The girl, Fleur, studied her, just as confused as the agent had been.

"Salut," (hi) Gale said, "Le nom de Gale (name's Gale.) Gale Caffrey. Qualle est la votre?" (What's yours?)

"Fleur. Fleur Perdu," the blonde said.

"Ou este-vous?" (Where are you from?)

"Paris," she told her. "Ou este-vous?"

"Ici a New York," (Here in New York) she said. The blond smiled. "Quand avez-vous dans les Etats?" (When did you get in the States?)

"Ya environ un mois." (About a month ago.) Gale nodded.

"Vous connaissez des Anglais?" (You know any English?) Gale asked. Fleur shrugged.

"Un peu (a little). Des choses comme les noms et les lieux." (Things like names and places.) "Comment avez-vous appris le francais?" (How did you learn French?) Gale shrugged.

"J'ai un ami m'a appris. (I have a friend who taught me.) Pense qu'il serait un jour. (Figured it would be useful someday.) Comme maintenant. (Like now.)" Gale paused for a moment.

"Alors, ou sont tes parents?" (So, where are your parents?) she asked.

"Je ne sais pas (I don't know). Ils sont partis pour trouver du travail et je ne les ai pas vu depuis quelques jours." (They left to find work and I haven't seen them for a few days.) Gale felt bad for Fleur. Even though it's been longer since she's seen _her _mother. And even longer than that since she's seen her father. She saw that Fleur was looking a bit uncomfortable, so she changed direction.

"Fleur, vous aimez la musique?" (Fleur, do you like music?) The blonde was confused by the random question, but shook it off.

"Ousis, je l'aime." (Yeah, I love it.) Gale smiled.

"Ce que aimez-vous?" (What do you like?) Fleur smile too.

"Vous savez, le rock." (You know, rock.)

"Moi aussi." (Me too) Gale told her. The two girls chatted back and forth for a while. She told Peter she'd take it slow and she is. She at least wanted Fleur to like her a little before they talked about the robbery.


	11. Flaws

Chapter 11: Flaws

Almost an hour later, Gale walked back into Peter's office. She all but pushed Neal out of the chair and sat, putting her feet up. Rolling his eyes, Peter pushed them back off.

"What did you find out?"

"Her name is Fleur Perdu, she got in the country about a month ago from Paris, and her parents left a few days ago to find work. She was in the bank when she saw the men with guns. She ran into a closet to hide till they left. As far as she knows, they didn't see her, and she only understood one thing they said; Mark Turtin." Peter wrote the name down.

"Wait," Neal said. "If her parents are gone, why was she in the bank?" Gale shrugged.

"She wouldn't say."

"Okay, that's a bit suspicious. Could she have been meeting her parents?"

"It's possible. She told me that she hadn't heard from them since they left, but she could have been lying." The door opened and Diana stepped in.

"Peter, I just got some stills from the bank security cams, and there's something you need to see." She set a file on his desk. Neal stood behind him and looked at the picture. Gale looked from the opposite side of the desk.

The picture was of Fleur walking in with two men who roughly matched the description given by the bank tellers. She wasn't just walking in at the same time, she was talking to them.

"You don't think she was with them, do you?" she asked.

"It would explain the holes in her story," Neal said.

"And it would explain why she wouldn't talk to Neal, if she thinks he's an agent," Diana added.

"Wait," Peter interrupted, "you don't _honestly _think that this girl had a hand in the robbery?"

"It would explain a lot, Peter," Gale told him.

"She's a child!"

"So?" the Caffrey's said together. Peter sighed and rubbed his forehead. Wrong people talk to about the impossibility of a teenager robbing a bank. Knowing them, they'd probably had a hand in one at some point. Neal, absolutely. Gale… it wouldn't surprise him.

"Peter," Gale said, cutting into his thoughts, "it's not like she's ten or something. She's sixteen. It's really not all that hard to believe."

"Yes, it is," he argued. "Where would she learn to rob a bank?" Gale bit her lip and tried not to smile. "Don't answer that!"

"No worries there. I'm just saying, it all depends on who she's grown up around and the influences in her life. Mine… well, they weren't the best…" Peter rolled his eyes.

"I can imagine," he mumbled, shooting a dark look at Neal, who shrugged. "But have you ever robbed a bank because of that?"

"No…" she said quietly, her face not betraying the slightest hint of a lie. But Peter was smart enough to tell it was a lie.

"Don't want to know," he told them, making the brother and sister flash identical smiles. "So you really think this girl had a part in the robbery?" All three of them smiled. "Guess we just have to prove it now."


	12. Street Contacts

Chapter 12: Street Contacts

"Diana," Peter said, "check immigrations and customs. See if anyone came into the country a month ago from France, under the name Perdu. Jones, get footage from the other bank robberies, see if there's a common denominator that we didn't notice before." They nodded and headed out. The agent turned to Neal.

"Check your street contacts, see if you can dig anything up." The young man nodded and walked out, pulling out his phone as he went. Gale went to follow, but Peter stopped her.

"What?" she asked as he closed the door.

"I have to ask, where did you learn French?" She inwardly sighed in relief, not expecting that, and shrugged.

"I have a friend," she told him cryptically. He rolled his eyes.

"Of course you have a friend. You're a Caffrey, I should have guessed." She smiled at his expression. "Speaking of, Neal and I were talking and he said something. It made sense at the time, but not now that I'm thinking about it."

"Just spit it out," she sighed. He looked a little taken aback, but answered nonetheless.

"Well, you and Neal had different fathers, but he introduced you as Gale _Caffrey_..." She nodded.

"Caffrey is mom's maiden name. We were both born before she got married to our dads. Neal's didn't adopt him, mine didn't adopt either of us. Our birth certificates have us both as Caffrey." The teen shrugged. Peter nodded.

"That makes sense," he said, more to himself.

"Now, if you don't mind, I am gonna go."

"But what if we need to talk to her? She won't talk to Neal." Gale rolled her eyes as she took a pen and piece of paper off of the agent's desk.

"Here," she said, holding the paper out to him after scribbling something down. "That's my cell number. Call me if you need me, I won't go far." With that, she pushed open the door and headed down the stairs to the bullpen. She paused for a moment by her brother's desk.

"Hey, I'm gonna get some lunch. Want anything?" He looked up.

"No, I'm good." _Liar! _she thought. He studied her face for a moment. "You're not just getting lunch, are you?" She shrugged again.

"I need to talk to someone." Neal opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. "I'm not going far, I gave Peter my cell number, and I'm just seeing a friend."

"Is this the friend I'm thinking it is?" She smiled.

"Most likely." He nodded and got back to his work. She took that as his approval and headed to the elevator.

WC

"If it ain't Gale Caffrey," a girl's voice said. "It's been a while."

"That it has. Thanks for seeing me Gia," she said as she sat across from the other girl in the diner booth. The other girl, Gia, was black. She had caramel brown eyes, and silky black hair that fell in waves to the small of her back. Gia was seventeen, and was an old friend of Gale's.

"You knew I would, girl. Word on the street is, you've been hangin' with big brother."

"Yeah, literally and figuratively." Gia shot her a confused look. "Big brother cut a deal with _Big Brother._" Realization lit the black girl's face.

"When did that happen?"

"Shortly after Neal's disappearing act." Gia chuckled a little and shook her head.

"He always was a smart one," she mumbled. "They givin' him a hard time?"

"No. 'Cept for an misplaced accusation, the feds get along with him better than cops and cons should. The Suit who caught him actually trusts him, they're even friends." Gia gave her a sympathetic look.

"Sorry, girl. Looks like your big bro went to the dark side." Gale laughed.

"Maybe he wanted the cookies," she mused. "Neh, the Burkes are good people. Peter's wife, Elizabeth, is actually the one who convinced Peter to make the deal."

"Wow. What's she do?"

"Event planner. Burke's Premiere Events." Gia nodded.

"So, what'd you want to talk about, girl?"

"This," she said, setting a picture on the table between them. She flipped it over as the waitress came over.

"What can I get for you, kids?" she asked, taking out an order book.

"Shredded chicken sandwich and a Mountain Dew," Gia told her politely. The waitress turned to Gale.

"Um, can I get the same, only an extra sandwich to go?" she asked. The waitress nodded and walked away. As soon as she was gone, Gale turned the picture back over.

"Who's this?" Gia asked.

"She told me her name was Fleur Perdu."

"You don't believe her?" Gale shook her head a little.

"Not entirely. I can't tell if she's lying, or if she's just hiding something. But I'm pretty sure that's not her name."

"What's the story?"

"You been watching the news lately?" Gia nodded, making her hair bounce a little. "Heard about the string of bank robberies?"

"Yeah. Whoever it is, they're good." The younger girl nodded in agreement. "How's she involved and why do you give a damn?"

"Feds found her as a witness. They called me in to talk to her 'cause she only speaks French."

"Doesn't Neal speak French?" Gale nodded.

"But she won't talk to him. She's not comfortable around the feds, which is pretty suspicious." Gia picked up the photo.

"So, what's the catch?"

"They looked at the security footage from the bank around the time the robbery went down and saw her walking in with two men who match the descriptions given by bank tellers from all the banks that have been hit," she explained.

"The feds think she helped pull it off?" Gia asked.

"Well, not Peter, but Neal and I aren't as sure."

"Burke doesn't think a kid can pull off a job like this?" the black girl asked, incredulous. Gale smiled. The food came, and they sat there for a moment in silence, enjoying the food. Finally, Gia broke spoke again. "So, what is it you needed, exactly?"

"Ask around for me," Gale said, shrugging. "Show the picture to some people. Just dig up some dirt on this girl."

"When do you want the info?" Gia asked, taking the picture and putting it in her purse.

"I'll give you some time," she told Gia, pulling out a piece of paper and pen from her own bag. She wrote something down quickly and passed it over to her friend. "Come over 'round ten tonight and tell me what you found out."

"Where is this?" she asked, her voice thick with confusion.

"Neal's."

"Will he be there?"

"Neal knows you. Just 'cause he works with the feds, doesn't mean he'll sell you out."

"Will the _Suit _be there?" Gia asked.

"Maybe," the younger girl admitted. "But like I said, Neal won't sell you out if I tell him not to."

"No names mentioned?"

"Not unless _you_ want to tell Peter. What kind of friend would I be if it were any other way?"

"Not a good one," Gia said, laughing.

"True." They sat there for a moment. "I gotta get back. Talk to you then." The teen stood.

"Drop a text if the Suit's gonna show."

"Will do." Gia reached into her purse and pulled out some money. "Let me, G. I owe you one for this."

"You're the best, G," the older girl said before walking away. The waitress returned and Gale paid for the food, grabbed Neal's sandwich, and followed suit, leaving the change as a tip.


	13. Common Denominator

Chapter 13: Common Denominator

When Gale walked back through the doors into the White Collar Crime Unit, she plopped the tin foil-wrapped sandwich on her brother's desk. He stared at it in confusion for a moment.

"I told you I didn't want anything," he said.

"You lied." He shrugged, not bothering to deny it, and pulled the wrapping open. It was still warm. He ate it happily. "So, how was your meeting with Gia?" he asked between bites.

"Fine," she answered plainly.

"She agree to help?" She stared at him blankly.

"Don't know what you're talking about." The young man rolled his eyes.

"Don't give me that shit, Gale. I saw you take one of the pictures."

"Okay, that automatically means I handed it over to G and asked her for help?" He smiled and nodded.

"Just like I can't lie to you, you can't lie to me," he told her, causing her to break into a fit of laughter.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," she mumbled. "I wasn't exactly trying to hard there, Neal." This made the smile fade from his face.

She noticed Peter's door open and the older agent stepped out. Several heads turned toward him. He pointed to Neal. The young man stood and headed to the stairs. Peter didn't budge. He locked eyes with Gale. She pointed to herself and he nodded. With a sighed followed her brother.

Agents Barrigan and Jones were already there when she closed the door behind herself. She leaned against the door as they began to talk.

"Okay, Diana. What did you find out?" Peter asked.

"No one under the name Perdu came into the county last month from Paris. Although, one family did come in with a daughter matching Fleur's description. She came in with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Apostol. They live in an apartment downtown." Diana sat a file down in front of Peter. He nodded.

"Good, this is good."

"One more thing, boss," she said. "The Apostol's reported their daughter, Fleur Apostol missing almost a week ago." Everyone's heads turned to her. She pulled a picture from the file. It was of Fleur and a woman who seemed to be an older copy of her.

"Jones, what did you find?" Peter asked slowly, head still reeling.

"Every bank teller we questioned gave a description, and all the descriptions all matched. When I looked at the footage, I found something I never noticed before." Jones sat another file in front of the older agent, who opened it and started flipping through the stills.

"They always walk in with a kid."

"It's always a different teenager, roughly between ages fourteen and seventeen."

"So, we think these robbers are kidnapping children to help them?" Neal asked from the chair in front of Peter's desk.

"Looks like it," Jones said. Peter closed both files.

"We need to talk to Fleur's parents," Peter said. They all looked at Neal. "Care to be my translator?"

"Do I have a choice?" Peter nodded. "Then I'd love to translate for you." Gale's phone buzzed from her pocket. It was a text message.

_I found sumting big. Can we meet NOW, its important. –G _

The other agents were clearing out. She caught up to Neal. "Who was that?" he asked in a whisper.

"G. She said she found something big."

"_Already?_" Gale nodded.

"She wants to meet with me now, rather than later."

"Where'd you agree to meet?" he asked.

"June's." He nodded.

"Want me to give her a call and tell her that one of your friends will be stopping by?"

"Please?" He nodded and pulled his phone out.

"See ya in a bit," he told her. She nodded.

_Just tell whoever opens the door that you're one of my friends. Neal's giving her a heads up. _


	14. Kidnapper

Chapter 15: Kidnapper

Gale opened the door to Neal's apartment. June had promised to escort Gia up as soon as she arrived. A little tired, Gale slumped down on the couch. She wondered what Gia could have found so soon. It had hardly been half an hour.

Pushing the thoughts aside, the teen picked up the remote, turned on the TV, and began flipping through channels. She settled for iCarly. About twenty minutes passed and the door opened again. Neal's elderly landlady stepped in, followed by a somber Gia carrying a manila folder.

"Thank you, June," Gia said sweetly. "It has been lovely meeting you."

"Like wise." June turned to Gale. "How did you meet Gia, dear?"

"Oh, one of Neal's… friends introduced us." This made the old woman smile.

"Well, do tell me if you young ladies need anything," she told them before walking out.

"She was sweet," Gia commented. "Where did Neal meet her?"

"Um, he told me they met in a thrift store," she told her friend, making her laugh.

"Only Neal," the older girl muttered.

"You said you had something?" Gale said, getting impatient.

"Right," she said, setting down at the table and opening the folder. Gale sat next to her. "I showed the picture to some of my… associates, and I got some favorable results." Gia pulled out a picture of a man. No, not a picture, a _mug shot. _Looking around, she pulled the file over that she _borrowed _from Neal's desk and flipped it open.

"Well… it matches the description given by the bank tellers. Who is it?"

"His name is Frank Orville."

"What was he charged with?"

"Charged? B and E, armed robbery, and larceny."

"How does this tie to the girl?"

"Well, he was suspected of child abduction, but there was no proof." Gia hesitated for a moment. "Some kids were never found, but the ones that _were_… well, they were dumped in the Hudson. All DNA was washed away in the water by the time they were found." Gale stared at her in disbelief. "One of my contacts remembered seeing the girl with this man three days ago."

"I've got to get to the Bureau and tell Peter this!" she exclaimed, as she stood up.

"I'll walk with you, if you want." The younger girl smiled.

"Thanks, G, you're the best."

"I know!" They each grabbed their files and headed to the door.

The girls were half way to the Bureau when it happened. Gale screamed as a large man grabbed her from behind. Gia turned, about to punch him, but a sharp pain appeared on the back of her head. She fell, unconsciousness beginning to wash over her. Before everything went black, she felt herself drug into the nearby alley, and saw the files thrown in a garbage can, and her best friend pulled into a waiting,black van.


	15. Rush

Chapter 16: Rush

Slowly, Gia opened her eyes. Her head killed, but she ignored it as she pushed herself up. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered how long she was out, and pulled her phone out. It was a little after two when she and Gale had left. Her phone said it was almost six. They must have hit her _hard._ Gia reached up and felt her head and was shocked to feel warm blood oozing out.

Gale… Then the memories hit her. Gale being grabbed from behind and her being hit on the back of the head. The files, where were the files? She searched her foggy memories and remembered that the man who drug her into the alley also dumped the files in a trash can.

Gia staggered over to the first can and pulled it open. Right on top were two files, contents hardly spilling out. She scooped them up and put the lid back on the trash can. Either he thought she was already unconscious, or they are stupid as shit. Shaking off the thought, she started running. She knew vaguely where the Bureau was, and was sure she could find it.

WC

Finally, after about half an hour, Gia made it to the federal building. Ignoring looks from men in suits and women in hideous dress clothes, she pushed her way inside and stopped in front of a secretary typing at the front desk.

"Can I help you, young lady?" the woman asked, confused.

"Yeah, I need to know the floor that…" she searched her memories again. "Agent Peter Burke works on." Yeah, that sounded right.

"What do you need with the FBI?"

"Don't have time to explain. Please, just tell me the floor number." The woman just stared at her for a moment. Gia raised her hands in slight frustration. "_Please?_" The woman looked at her hand.

"Is that… is that _blood?_" Gia hissed out an irritated breath.

"It's my blood and it's not important. I need to speak to Agent Peter Burke. Tell me the damn floor number!" The woman looked taken aback.

"Excuse me," a man said, making her turn. "Did you say you were looking for Pete Burke?"

"Who are you and what's it to ya?" she asked snidely.

"I'm Agent Ruiz. I can take you to Burke, if it's that important."

"Thanks, that'd be very much appreciated," she said through clenched teeth.

"But, you're gonna have to answer my questions." She stared at him for a moment before sighing.

"Fine, I'll answer _some _of your questions. Not all of them. Just take my to Burke." He smiled.

"Fair enough," he agreed as he started walking. She followed. After a moment of walking, they reached an elevator. The odd pair stepped in and Agent Ruiz pressed the 21 button. The doors closed and they began to ascend.

"Okay, what's your name, kid?" he asked.

"Next," she told him.

"That's the easiest question," he said, confused.

"_Next,_" she growled.

"Okay… What's with the blood?"

"I hit my head."

"Why do you need to talk to Burke?"

"It's about Neal Caffrey," she told him, trying not to give too many details.

"What did he do?"

"He didn't do anything. It's about a case they're working."

"And how'd you get involved?" now noticing the files in her hand.

"Neal's sister asked for help." He stared at her, dumbfounded.

"Caffrey has a _sister?_" She nodded. "Since when?"

"Since he was ten?" she said, not really sure it was a real question.

"How'd she get involved?"

"Uh, French girl didn't trust the agents. She's the only teenager they knew who's fluent in French, apparently."

"How'd she learn French?" She rolled her eyes, about to say something sarcastic, but there was a _ding! _and the door opened.

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I've gotta go." She took a step forward, but he stopped her.

"Don't you want me to show you where Burke's office is?"

"I'm sure I can find it," Gia assured him, pulling her wrist out of his hand. Without another word, she exited the elevator and pushed her way through a set of glass doors.

Agents all around her were giving her odd looks. She wanted to say something like 'take a picture, it'll last longer,' but she held herself back. Instead, she scanned the room, looking for Neal. A black, male agent walked up to her.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Um, Agent Burke?" she asked.

"Follow me," he said, and headed to the stairs. She followed, just like he had with Agent Ruiz. He pushed open a door right around the corner from the stairs and stepped aside to let her in. Slowly, she stepped in.

There were two men in there. One, she recognized, and the other she didn't. The one she didn't must have been Agent Burke. The one she did know was Neal Caffrey.

"Who are-" Burke started to ask, but was cut off by the younger man.

"Gia?" he asked. "What are you doing here?" She opened her mouth to speak, but Neal asked another question. "Where's Gale?"

"Gale was kidnapped."


	16. An Author's Note

An Author's Note

Okay, so, I uploaded the wrong chapter for fourteen. It wasn't an important chapter, so here's what you missed. The chapter was called Missing. Neal and Peter went to the Apostol's apartment. They ask when the last time they saw Fleur was and if they got a letter or note from her at all. Most of it was just French. You honestly didn't miss much, it's just what Neal and Peter were doing. They go to the Bureau with the Apostol's after the questioning. Sorry for the confusion. –A


	17. String of Events

Chapter 17: String of Events

"Wait a moment," Peter said, thoroughly confused. "Who _are _you?" She shot a glance at Neal before taking a deep breath.

"My name is Gia."

"Yeah, I kinda got that," Peter said coldly.

"I'm a friend of Gale's. My older brother is one of Neal's old… friends. They introduced us when we were, what?" She looked at Neal.

"I think you were six, so Gale was about five," he told them. She smiled a little and nodded.

"And, why are you here?" Peter asked.

"Like I just said, Gale was kidnapped."

"Okay, start from the beginning," Peter ordered. She nodded a little.

"So, I get a text message from G, and she says she wants to meet for lunch. So I go to our usual spot, a diner not far from here. She comes in with a picture…" Gia pauses and pulls the photo of Fleur out of one of the folders.

"Is this… is this a case photo?" She nodded. "She took this?"

"Oh, speaking of," she said to Neal, holding out the blue folder. "Here's your file back."

"Why did Gale have it?" he asked. She shrugged.

"She _borrowed _it, in case it came in handy." They rolled their eyes. "Anyway, she gives me the picture and asks me to ask around, ya know, kick over some stones, dig up some dirt." They nodded and she took another breath.

"I took a picture of it on my phone and sent it to some… various burners in my contact list…" Neal smiled a little at this, and Peter looked like he'd rather be talking about anything else. "Asked if anyone had some info on her."

"What came up?" Neal asked.

"After about ten minutes, I get a text back that has only one thing. The name Frank Orville. So I went to look it up and got quite a bit of dirt." Gale sat her file down on Peter's desk, open to the mug shot of Frank Orville.

"Frank was charged with B and E, armed robbery, and larceny. Gale said he matched the description given for one of the men by the bank tellers."

"Okay, but how does this prove that he kidnapped Fleur?" Peter asked.

"That's what I wondered. So I dug a little deeper. Turns out, Orville was suspected of child abduction. A lot of children were never found, but some ended up floating in the river. Since the water washed away all the evidence, they couldn't pin it on him."

"And you think this guy kidnapped Fleur," Peter summarized.

"And Gale," Neal added.

"I think it's worth looking into," she told them.

WC

She woke up, but she wasn't sure if she was awake or dreaming. It was dark and cold. She was alone. A part of her told her this was a dream, but the other, more logical, reasonable part said that wasn't the case. As she tried to move, pain shot through various parts of her body. _Okay, so it's _not_ a dream, _she thought.

There was a squeak to her left and light poured in. Contrasted against the light, stood a shadowy silhouette of a man. Or, at least she _thought _it was a man. The man chuckled and said one thing. "Welcome home, Gale. It's been a long time."


	18. Creepy

Chapter 19: Creepy

A light was flicked on and the man stepped forward. Gale had to blink a few times before she grew accustom to the light, but she was soon studying his appearance carefully.

The man's stomach was very round. His eyes were dark blue, strikingly so. He was balding, his hair mouse-y brown. He smiled creepily showing crooked yellow teeth. Yet, he looked vaguely familiar.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"You should know, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that, creep!" The man laughed.

"I can call you whatever the hell I want," he told her. "You don't recognize me, do you?" She said nothing, just glared. "I suppose it's been a few years…" 

"I've never seen you, but I know I… I remember…" she said, more to herself.

"Remember what?" he asked.

"Your name… Frank Orville." Again, the man laughed.

"So you found out about old Frankie, did you?" Again, she remained silent. "No, Frankie outgrew his usefulness. Like the other's did. In the end."

"What, did you dump him in the river too?" she asked, malice coloring her tone.

"You really did figure it out, didn't you? No, that's one body that won't be found," he assured her.

"You're sick." The man came right in front of her and crouched down so they were face to face.

"Yeah, what are you going to do about it?" For an answer, she spat in his face. He wiped it off and, smiling a little crazily, slapped her across the face. She flinched, but showed no other emotion or pain. That would be weakness. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

With that, he stood and walked back to the door. "Let's see if we can find that brother of yours too." Then the lights went out and the door slammed shut. And Gale was alone again.


	19. Gunpoint

Chapter 20: Gunpoint

Neal managed to hold himself together the rest of the day. When they could go home, Peter offered to drive Neal to June's. Neal agreed gratefully. Then the agent turned to Gia.

"You need a ride anywhere?" She bit her lip.

"Why doesn't she stay at June's in Cindy's old room?" Neal suggested, much to her relief. "In case we need something."

"Like what?" Neal shrugged. Peter was about to argue, but Neal pulled him aside.

"Peter, she just saw her best friend kidnapped, and was knocked out. She'll never admit it, but I think she's scared to be alone."

"What about her parents?" Neal sighed.

"They died in a car crash when her she was ten. She had to stay with her older brother, George, until she was fourteen. Then he was shot on a job…" Neal closed his eyes, as if trying to block out a horrible memory.

"Who killed him?" Peter asked.

"Keller. It was a three man con. Geo thought he left his passport behind. Keller didn't give him the chance to check. Put a bullet through his head without a word."

"Where was the passport?"

"His pocket." Peter hesitated, biting his lip.

"Okay, fine." The agent turned back to Gia. "Let's go."

WC

Gia was shown to her room. Neal slumped to his own. He poured a glass of wine and sat at his table. There was a light _click! _from behind and something was pressed, hard, to the back of his head. He wondered how he'd missed the footsteps.

"Stand up, Neal, and come with me." Neal didn't move. "Come, now. No one has to get hurt." Clenching his teeth, the young man stood. He was led quietly through the house and to a waiting van. Before the door was shut, a rectangle was pressed into his hands.

"I don't think we'll be taking your anklet with us." Slowly, Neal unlocked the anklet and threw it out of the van. There was a pain in the back of his head. The door was slid closed and, finally, he lost consciousness.


	20. Identification

Chapter 21: Identification

"Neal?" he heard. But it sounded kind of echo-y, distant. "Neal? Can you hear me?" He wanted to say yes, wanted to say anything, but he couldn't seem to find his mouth. Whoever was talking to him shook him violently. The young man was finally able to open his eyes, but there was nothing but black. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if he was blind.

Then there was a sting on his left cheek, someone slapped him. Hard. "Ow," he protested.

"Baby," the person said. Finally, he recognized the voice.

"Gale!" With that, he sat bolt-upright.

"Took ya long enough," she mumbled. "Please tell me the feds know where you are?"

"Yes?" The teen hissed out an irritated sigh.

"Great rescue missing," she said sarcastically.

"Well, it was either this or get shot," he told her coolly.

"Point taken." He heard her stand.

"What are we going to do?" he asked, hearing footsteps heading away from him.

"We can start," she said as a light turned on, "by shedding a little light on the subject."

"Pun-y." She smiled a little. Then he got a look at her face. There was a purple-ish bruise blossoming on the side of her face.

"What happened?"

"What? This?" She pointed to her cheek and he nodded. "I said he was sick, he got in front of me, he asked what I was going to do about it, so I spat in his face. He slapped me." She shrugged. Neal rolled his eyes.

"Are you _trying _to get yourself killed?" She just glared at him.

"Neal, it's nothing. I've had worse." Neal looked down, realizing the double meaning in her words. He was about to say something when the door opened. A fat, balding man walked in. The young man was sure he'd seen him before, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Ah, I see you're awake, Neal."

"No dip," Gale said bitingly. He paid her no mind.

"What do you want?" Neal spat.

"Oh, you'll find out in due time," he assured the young man. "I was just wondering if you two were hungry." His tone was bright. And familiar. Neal finally figured out who this man was.

He sat down a bag Neal hadn't noticed before and left. There was a small _click!_ as the door was relocked.

"I know who it is," he muttered.

"What?" Gale was over to him in a second, eyes wide and alert.

"It's Erik Salem."


	21. Plans

A/N: Okay, figured since I'm done with Federal Custody, and am working on the sequel, I might as well try to finish this one too. Maybe someday, I'll try to finish Growing Pains... I'll challenge myself to finish all my non-drabble stories before school starts on the 24th, so that's five days... Looks like I've got a lot of work to do. :) Hope you like this! And I'm sorry for the incredibly long break. (Oh, in Kidnapper, I meant the East River, not the Hudson, I was watching National Treasure when I wrote that...) Anyway, on with the story! -A

Chapter 21: Plans

"Peter," Jones said, walking in Peter's office the next day. "Have you seen Neal?" Peter's head snapped up.

"No, why?"

"He's not here," Jones told him with a shrug before turning and walking away. Confused, Peter pulled out his cell and called Neal. No answer. He tried three more times over the next hour, but nothing. Finally, he grabbed his keys and drove to June's. On the sidewalk, near a bush, was the anklet, it's little light still green.

Worried, he was let in by a cleaner, Rhonda, if he remembered correctly, and ran up to Neal's apartment. On the table was Neal's phone and a note. He picked up the latter and read it.

_Agent Burke,_

_Lose something? Better find them before they outgrow their usefulness._

This made Peter feel sick as he sunk down onto the chair and stared blankly at it, reading it over and over again. Neal and Gale were kidnapped by the same person. A person who was not taunting him and threatening their lives. It was going to be a very bad day, it seemed.

WC

Needless to say, Gale wasn't thrilled to learn that her own dad kidnapped them. She actually looked like she wanted to puke. And she was suprised she didn't recognize him. Then again, it had been a few years...

"Gale?" Neal said, his tone concerned. She hardly heard him.

"Yeah, I'm good," she told him, answering his unasked question. he wasn't so sure. She shook her head and got back to business. "How are we going to get out of here?"

"Well," Neal said, allowing the change of subject, "he can't keep us in here forever. I can tell he doesn't just want us dead, or we already would be. So we wait. And eventually, he'll make a mistake." She nodded, hoping that was true.

WC

He chuckled. They thought that he'd make a mistake, did they? Well, let them think that. He'll show them real fast what happens when you try to outsmart the man holding all the cards. For example, they didn't bother looking for the hidden camera in the room, and that carelessness lost them any element of suprise they may have had.

Then again, they were smart. Both of them. If he wasn't careful, they'd come up with a plan and _would _find a way to get out. He bit his lip. If that happened, it was all over. He couldn't let that happen. He had to get them under his thumb first... But they were fighters and would be hard to control. That's where the biggest problem was. As soon as he figured that out, he'd have to figure out what to do with them once they became useless to him. Oh well, he'd cross that bridge when he got there. _And I will get there, _he thought, taking a swig of his beer. _Mark my words, I will get there. _

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry it's so short, I'll try to finish it or have it almost finished tomorrow! -A


	22. Gale Saves the Day

A/N: Okay, so some bad language in this chapter, but also pretty funny. XD Hope you like it! -A

Chapter 22: Gale Saves the Day

The next day, Erik came back in their room, kicking both of them awake. "Up," he commanded. Glaring at him, they stood. "You're going to help me,"

"What makes you think that?" Gale asked, acid in her tone. With an evil smile, Erik held up a photo of El.

"Yeah, you're Suit's little wife. You help, or she pays the price." They gave no reaction, but they knew that Erik won.

"What exactly are we helping you with?" Neal asked.

"You should be good at this, we're robbing a bank." That gave Gale an idea. She smiled inwardly, but remained an uncaring stone on the outside. A gun was pointed at them and they were led out of the room and into the back of a van. Gale hastily explained her plan before Erik got in.

"Okay, I know how to get out. I'm going to... distract him. Then we run in different directions and get away."

"That might just work... just promise you'll be careful," he said. She offered a small smile and nodded. Then the door opened and Erik climbed in the driver's seat. _Let's hope this works, _she thought.

WC

The van came to a stop in an alley. Erik got out and walked around. "Get out," he ordered. Glaring at him agian, they obliged. They walked with him out of the alley and Gale realized where they were.

"Tuesday," she whispered in her brother's ear.

"What?" he hissed back.

"Tuesday... Moz..." Realization lit his eyes as he too saw where they were. They slowed down a little as they spoke and Erik pushed them to make them pick up the pace. Soon, they were in the bank.

"So, what's your plan?" Neal asked under his breath to Erik.

"We're waiting for someone." The bank was croweded, and Gale took this opertunity to pick a phone from some guy's pocket. Without being seen, he slipped it in her own as if nothing happened. They came to as stop near a wall, and Gale sighed. No time like the present. So, she faced Erik, looking him full on in the eye.

"What?" he growled. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and brought her knee up as hard as possible. Erik groaned and fell to the ground.

"Take that, bitch!" she shouted before taking off in the other direction. Neal followed her lead and bolted in the direction opposite of Gale. He had to admit, that kid was a genius. Pushing past annoyed people, Neal headed to the basement stairs. When he was down, he tried to find a way out, but heard rapid footsteps coming after him.

"Get back here, you bastard!" Erik swore loudly. Panicking, Neal went to the elevator and pressed the button. Thankfully, it opened a moment later and Neal ran in, pressing the 'one' and the button that closed the door. Erik had yet to reach the basement as the elevator started going up. As soon as the doors opened, Neal bolted for the exit, finding himself on the busy New York street. Quickly, he turned left and disappeared into the crowd.

Soon, he found himself in Tuesday, one of Mozzie's old safe houses. Gale was sitting on the floor when he walked in. She grinned broadly at him.

"Admit it, I'm a genius!"

"You're a genius," he said. "Now we've got to get ahold of Peter..."

"Way ahead of you," she said, tossing him the phone.

"Where'd you get this?" he asked.

"I... borrowed it from someone at the bank. We should be getting a call any time now from Peter when Erik is arrested." She refused to call him 'Dad.'

Sure enough, nearly twenty minutes later the phone rang. She put it on speaker. "Peter," she said.

"We got him," he told them. "Where are you? I'll come get you."

"Tuseday," Neal told him.

"Tuseday?"

"Yes, we're at Tuseday." Then Peter got it.

"Okay, I'll be there in a bit." Then the line went dead.

WC

Erik went to prison, sentenced to twenty years. Fluer was returned to her parents. That left Neal and Gale. She loved being with him and his family of sorts, but settling down wasn't her thing. So, she packed her bag one night and walked out without waking her brother.

The next morning, Neal found a note on his table.

_Neal,_

_I love you and all, but I can't stay. I'm sorry. I'll keep in touch as much as possible, but I've got a friend in Chicago who owes me a favor. It was great seeing you again though. Tell Peter and El I said bye. See ya 'round Caffrey._

_Gale_


End file.
